This invention relates to chairs. In particular, it relates to an improved chair having pleasing aesthetic characteristics and employing a combination of metal and wood so as to impart adequate strength and the suitably warm residential appearance traditionally associated with wood, and so as to provide the decorative continuity of an otherwise wood-furnished environment.
Chairs of many designs are known. Generally, metal chairs can be extremely functional and durable by virtue of the strength characteristics imparted by metal; however, such chairs do not create the warm ambience provided by wood. Wood, on the other hand, does not necessarily provide adequate strength for chairs which have unique characteristics such as a pivoted or cantilevered seat or backrest. There are particular environments where it is desirable to combine these features, in other words, to have a chair with strong features providing for movement such as front-pivotable action of the seat, and at the same time to have the warmth and residential character traditionally associated with wood that can coordinate more suitably with other wood furniture in proximity. A particularly suitable environment for chairs having these characteristics is in nursing homes. Chairs there can provide for a restful motion as can be imparted by a slight rearwardly deflecting front pivoting action available to a seat and backrest of a chair, while at the same time the warmth of the structure given by the wood adds to the pleasantness of the environment.
One prior art chair developed by the Applicant and which is the subject of a pending application Ser. No. 836,606, filed Feb. 27, 1986, describes a metal chair which has two side members defined by inverted angular "U" shaped elements. The contents of this application are incorporated by reference herein. The forward vertical limb of the "U" forms the front leg, the rear vertically inclined limb of the "U" forms the back leg and the top horizontal cross-member of the "U" forms the armrest. About mid-way up the front leg there is welded a support bracket so that a seat frame can pivotally be suspended from the front leg for a pivoting rocking type motion. This chair is structured of an all metal frame and a metal support member except for the actual seat and backrest which are constructed by material strung across the back and seat frames.
In another prior art chair of the Applicant, which is the subject of U.S. Ser. No. 937,485, filed Dec. 3, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,435 a similar construction is disclosed. The contents of this application are incorporated by reference herein. In that disclosure, the side members are angular "C"-shaped elements where the top limb of the "C" forms the armrest, the vertical cross-limb forms the front leg and the bottom limb of the "C" forms a base for the chair. In this case, the base of each member is connected at its free end at the rear of the chair and the frame constitutes a form of sled structure. Both these chairs are metal in construction except for the seat and back material extending across the frames.
A drawback to both of these chairs in some environments is that the metal structure does not necessarily provide the warm residential character traditionally associated with wood or the decorative continuity that can be required by an otherwise wood-furnished environment.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a chair with the overall appearance of wood furniture with enhanced comfort characteristics where the chair is sufficiently strong to provide comfortable pivoting seating.